When they first laid the foundation of the Creek House, I told our builder that I wanted to write scriptures on the foundation before we put down the floors, and he promised that he would give me plenty of time to do this. Well, he called Friday to say that I should work on it over the weekend. They are starting the floors today. Of course, it just so happened that Tropical Storm Fay decided that this would be the week-end to camp out over this area of the South. Saturday, it rained all day and the winds were really blowing…35-40 mph, so I decided I didn’t need to get out and go in all that. Then Sunday came around and it was blue sky and sunshine…for about 15 minutes! I got ready, and just as I began to leave, the bottom fell out…rain, winds, thunder, and lightning. Was I just being silly? Should I just give up the idea? What to do? Alex and Don both scoffed at me for this ‘crazy idea of mine’,anyway. My DIL, Suzanne,and friend, Tina, were going to help me, but couldn’t go till later. Besides, it was my project, not theirs, anyway. At least they understood it. And so, with the sky getting blacker and blacker…I struck out for the Creek House. What vision do men have, I ask you? Concrete and bricks…that’s what they think a house is. So, I make it across town and I see that they have my driveway blocked off. I have to park at the street. Yuck! Mud and lightning…a great combination. Whew! I made it inside, and it was so quiet…and still…and HOT! No air was stirring, and I couldn’t open the windows. I decided to just get busy and tackle it room by room. And, so I do. They had put a finish on some of the floors, and they were easy to write on. BUT, the ones that weren’t done yet…hard to do. I had to scrub and scrub to get a place I could write on. Luckily, I had taken some old sheets to sit on. I kept at it and finally finished. Concrete dust all over me and my clothes, sweat pouring down my back…and front, muscles screaming from getting up and down off the hard floor, and hands covered in black Sharpie marker marks…I was a mess! I decided to hurry home before another downpour started. My car, it seemed, had developed quite an attraction for the place. As I started to drive off, I hear the most awful racket underneath. I got out to check and see a long limb stuck under the car, behind the front wheel, on the passenger side. I pull…and I pull…and I pull. Then an enormous flash lights up the very dark sky, and I am certain death is imminent. Do you remember my post on lightning on 7/24?…nothing has changed since then. Then a clap…no, a boom of thunder sounds. Then another flash! The door on that side of the car is locked! This dumb car locks up everything except the driver’s side. I am in a quandary. This massive tree trunk is stuck under my car, God has chosen this very moment to put on a light show, and the door closest to me is locked. Should I dive under the car or make a dash for it to the other door? Another flash…it’s the car or me…I make a dash for the door…the car can fend for itself. Did I mention it has been raining since forever here, and there are limbs and leaves and mud everywhere?….slippery leaves and mud…very…slippery. And if a girl goes running like a bat out of a hot place, she’s just likely to do that. Slip…on the very slippery leaves and mud. So, I figure I’m a goner. The headlines will ready: VERY DIRTY LADY STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WHILE PLAYING TUG OF WAR WITH A TREE TRUNK THINKING SHE IS FAST ENOUGH TO OUTRUN THE LORD. I am now covered with mud down one leg and I am getting wet. And some idiot who obviously did not read my post about the lightning is out edging his lawn, and looking at me. Did he offer to help? Did he come to my rescue? I don’t know, because I tried to get up before he saw me. Here I am dying in the street and worrying about whether he saw me or not. Right before I jump into the car, I remember the mud. Something has to go on the car seat before my body does, and the only thing available are the dirty sheets that I used inside. So, dirty sheet on the seat, dirty girl on the sheet, and …we’re off! I figure the limb will certainly fall off as I drive. It is pouring now…and lightning and thundering…and I am not stopping again until I get home. I mean the one that I live in presently. In case you are wondering, the limb did not fall off. It hung on for dear life as I drove through the storm to safety. It sounded as if there was a whole tree stuck under there. I even had people point and try to tell me there was a limb under my car while I was at the red lights. I ignored them.

I needed a bath, a nap, and a BIG bag of Dove dark chocolate bites.

I got a bath, a nap, and a piece of Melba toast, and a chunk of cheese. Score 1 for the runner!